Thoughts on the travel industry

Tag: Ryanair

The New York Times reported today that JetBlue has teamed up with Hilton so that members of the airline’s loyalty program can earn additional points when staying at any of Hilton’s 3,500 hotels worldwide.

This is how it works: Hilton HHonors members earn one TrueBlue point for every $2 spent at a Hilton, including restaurants and spas. For example, travelers flying to Cancún on JetBlue can earn about 60 additional TrueBlue points by staying at the Hilton Cancún Golf and Spa Resort and paying a nightly rate of $119.

And through July 15, in celebration of the new partnership, 860 select properties will double the points, offering HHonors members one TrueBlue point for every $1 spent. Click here for a list of participating hotels in the limited time promotion and to sign up for the program.

Spirit Airlines is being criticized for installing seats that don’t recline on its newest planes. According to the Sun Sentinel, the fixed upright seats will allow Spirit to squeeze in more passengers, and save money because non-reclining seats are cheaper.

After first refusing to obey European Union rules, budget airline Ryanair now says that it will reimburse expenses for passengers stranded during the mass shutdown of European airspace. Previously, Ryanair had announced that that his airline would ignore EU rules and only reimburse up to the amount paid for each ticket. Airlines operating in Europe must provide–or reimburse for–meals, hotels and similar costs when passengers are stranded due to flight cancellations. The EU rules require monetary compensation for canceled flights except during extraordinary circumstances. A volcanic eruption qualifies as extraordinary and airlines will not have to pay passengers for canceling flights, but the requirements for expense reimbursement still apply and stranded passengers may file claims when an airline refuses to provide meals and accommodations.